Use only fresh factory loaded cartridges from reputable manufacturers. 7.62x39mm Soviet (7.62 mm Russian Short, 7.62 mm M43 Combloc). Save the 230 grain ball (FMJ) loads for practice; they are highly over-rated for self defense. Powders in each cartridge are loaded to ensure optimal pressure, velocity and consistency from lot to lot. This is not a problem, of course, with revolvers equipped with adjustable sights. These are riot-control rounds designed for non-lethal, massed police use against mobs at a distance. Use a 40 grain jacketed hollow point load. The 10mm Auto is making something of a comeback, with new guns and new factory loads appearing. Winchester Defender 125 grain JHP Winchester 180 Grain Defend This is great for cutting down ricochet and Unfortunately, most .45 Colt factory loads come with 250-255 grain lead RN bullets. My life will never depend on the reliability of your handgun. This is very important. The +P ammo should only be used in newer guns (made since 1985 or so) and is best used sparingly. Some older or cheaper semi-automatic pistols will jam with hollow point rounds. Like all lead bullets, they leave lead residue in the barrel's grooves after use. You may encounter some joker who says he can hand-load ammunition so powerful it will knock anything on two legs down for the count, but don't buy it. Don't believe for a second that you can just wound someone with birdshot and he'll go on to live another day. Honestly, from a bench, these rounds will group at 4 inches at 160 yards (expect a 9.25 inch drop). Cor-Bon 135 grain JHP Nosler specifically recommends their 64 grain Bonded Solid Base soft point load for personal defense. Introducing the latest products from the worldwide leader in ammunition. of impact energy - a 12 gauge shotgun has 2500 to 3100 ft. lbs. Winchester Super-X 147 grain Defend. This means your gun will almost certainly shoot to a very different point of aim than it does with conventional ammunition. I recommend them, but they are tough to find. The typical options in 12 gauge are numbers 000, 00, 0, 1 and 4. Some enthusiastic gun-shop salesman may try to sell it to you. Once I put some compact Pachmayr grips on it, however, I had no problem firing the C357B load accurately and rapidly. case loaded to much higher pressure. Future updates in this article will continue to be made as required. Save ball ammo for practice, as its stopping power is very unreliable. This load has more stopping power than any other handgun cartridge and this includes more powerful rounds like the .41 and .44 Magnums. The second-best choice is the .38 Special +P 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter hollow point (LSWCHP) available from Winchester and Remington. It is an excellent round, most commonly used in SKS and AK-47 derived rifles, as well as the Ruger Mini-30. Sig Sauer Elite 124 grain V-Crown JHP Even with 10mm Light loads, it is ballistically identical to the .40 S&W and with midrange or full power loads it is the most powerful of the common autoloading pistol cartridges. The point is not to wound or kill the adversary, the point is to stop him in his tracks and make him cease attacking you. A cool, deliberate marksman with a little .32 Walther PPK will beat a panicky, inaccurate man with a .357 Magnum or $1200 customized .45 auto every time. If you come upon a bargain lot of RNL ammo, feel free to buy it for target practice. It seems to work fine in Beretta 950 pistols, for example, but don't expect more than a marginal improvement in performance over the 50 grain ball rounds. There are special situations where slugs might be preferred over buckshot (e.g. I have placed pistols in each category according to reputation and experience. There is a reasonable selection of factory loaded ammunition in bullet weights from 85 to 115 grains available from the ATK combine (Federal, Speer, CCI, Blazer, Fusion and American Eagle brands). The first is that birdshot is as lethal as buckshot at very close range and ineffectual at longer range. Cor-Bon 165 grain JHP (MV 1250 fps) I have chosen to rely primarily on Ayoob, Marshall and Sanow when it comes to selecting my personal ammunition. With its much greater case capacity, this classic revolver cartridge can be loaded to do anything the .45 ACP can do, and more. The .380 Silvertip was once state-of-the-art, but it has since been superseded by newer designs. (Avoid the latter revolver unless you absolutely LOVE punishing recoil.). The most effective handgun round on the market, regardless of caliber, is the .357 Magnum 125 grain jacketed hollow point load. Tactics and marksmanship win gunfights, not having the latest wonder bullet in your gun. Installing good grips does wonders for your ability to control your .38 snub-nose revolver in rapid fire. Your life may. BIRDSHOT- small-diameter pellets used for bird hunting. Third Class pistols should generally be loaded with ball for best reliability; experiment with your gun extensively before carrying JHP: Walther P38, P4 or P1; Luger P-08; Llama; Maverick; MKS Model JS; Intratec CAT-9, DC-9, KG-9, etc. To summarize, you can never go wrong with a 110-125 grain .357 jacketed hollow point load from one of the major US ammunition makers. These are only meant as guidelines; your pistol may feed JHP rounds better - or worse - than this table indicates). This old round has survived so long for a simple reason: it works. I live in a thin-walled apartment house, which makes birdshot a viable alternative. They are typically very accurate. Shoot and shoot and shoot some more. Never use birdshot. The Cor-Bon 165 grain JHP, Cor-Bon 225 grain DPX and Federal Power-Shok 180 grain JHP loads are the hands-down choices in this caliber. Don't be a knucklehead. In short, you can hardly go wrong with the .40 S&W, unless you carry ball ammo. Glasers are probably the best alternative for use in heavily populated areas, due to the .44 Mag's penchant for over-penetration. Then, practice with both your selected defense load and low-cost birdshot to fully familiarize yourself with the operation of your gun and its terminal performance (e.g. Avoid soft-points, semi-wadcutters, or any of the 158 grain or 180 grain JHP loads; these are for hunting, practice, target or rifle use. The Blazer 200 grain JHP, Hornady Critical Defense 185 grain FTX, Federal 225 grain Lead Semi-Wadcutter Hollow point, Winchester 225 grain Defender and Winchester 225 grain Silvertip JHP are also good. Colt King Cobra, Ruger GP100 and especially the small-frame Ruger SP101. Actually, shotguns must be carefully aimed and fired with any load, just like handguns and rifles. over-penetration dangers, but drastically limits its ability to penetrate We appreciate your business and want you to know we are doing everything possible to continue to respond to the record level of demand for ammunition, bullets, cartridge cases, reloading presses and accessories. For example, we now have data from the ongoing Lucky Gunner ammunition tests, which is among the most extensive civilian ammunition testing programs ever, and this information has been included in the article. Use ball ammo only for practice. Bullets that expand properly when fired from a service pistol (Walther PP or Baikal IJ-70a, for example) may not expand at all when fired from little guns, such as a Walther PPK or Glock 42. Gain a deep knowledge of ballistic science and access our improved ballistic calculator. All of the well known US ammo manufacturers load good hollow points for this caliber, but getting them to expand out of the short barreled autos ("pocket pistols") typically favored for concealed carry is quite difficult. A hollow point load that feeds well in the Colt Government Model .380, H&K HK4, Taurus PT-58, older PP and PPK, Bersa .380, Beretta 70s, Makarov and Hungarian FEG is the Remington 88 grain JHP. Nosler 124 grain bonded core JHP +P Speer 124 grain Gold Dot .45 ACP (Occasionally called the 11.43x23mm by some silly Europeans), The .45 ACP is a recognized man stopper and there are a number of excellent loads in this caliber. I hope you enjoy reading "Ammunition For The Self-Defense Firearm" and find it useful. Choose any #4, BB or larger high brass lead hunting load and have the balance of the magazine filled with buckshot, in case the birdshot doesn't put them down fast enough. Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain FTX The .357 SIG appears to have put the older .38 Super on the road to obsolescence. GECO "Blitz Action Trauma" or BAT 9mm rounds from Germany are a proven design. The brutal kick of these rounds makes them a bad choice and you gain little in stopping power over the 2-3/4" standard loads. However, due to the poor stopping power of ball ammo in the Middle East conflicts, even the US military has started to move away from ball and is adopting JHP handgun ammunition. Here are high performance 9x19mm +P loads worth consideration: Barnes 115 grain TAC-XPD +P I chose .38 Special over .357 Magnum, because I am likely to be in a just-awakened daze and would rather not be blinded and disoriented by the flash, kick and blast of firing a .357 Magnum in a darkened room. NAA mini-revolvers, at least the models with sights (Black Widow, etc. (Both calibers shoot standard 9mm/.355" bullets faster than the 9x19mm.) The best defense load for this obsolescent revolver caliber is the Federal Champion 98 grain lead wadcutter target load. It is the flattest shooting of all the conventional magnum revolver cartridges. A Special Note on Snub-Nose .38 Revolvers: The Cor-Bon .38 Special +P 125 grain JHP and 158 grain LSWCHP FBI load are not the best choice for 2" or 3" barrel revolvers. Sometimes heavy clothing or barrier materials (wall board, wood, etc.) The .410 is only a half-way decent man stopper with slugs. As a result, no shotguns made specifically for defense are available in 16 gauge. At 50 feet, the spread will be the size of a large pizza (16"). Stick to jacketed hollow points under 150 grains in weight. The Llama .38 Super pistol tends to jam with anything except ball. These generally do not expand and perform similarly to FMJ bullets for self-defense and I don't even use them at the range. Shoot a lot of rounds through your self-defense .22.The ammo is cheap and you want to be sure to pick a reliable round. vanquishing hostile attackers. Thank you for your support. Actually, I had an idea about the identity of "Anonymous," but I could have been mistaken. As with the .308, the biggest concern is over penetration in populated areas. There is little terminal difference between the various brands; buy whichever you please. This guide is for civilian readers. Effective shotgun technique, of course, requires that one hits with each shot. You should really be using something bigger than a .22 for self-defense, but even a .22 LR beats nothing. Glaser Safety Slugs use unusually lightweight bullets at higher than normal velocity. Brain shots that destroy the medulla oblongata are the most reliable stoppers. Obviously, I cannot discuss every available load in an article of this nature. Another reason was that it made interesting reading and I enjoy a good read as much as anyone. .22 Mag (.22 WMR) ammo rimfire AmmoSeek.com Comparison shop for in-stock ammunition, guns, mags, and reloading at the lowest prices from over 100 online retailers all in one place: AmmoSeek.com Good loads using JHP bullets are relatively scarce. The shotgun is the ne plus ultra of man stoppers. Save yourself the trouble and use a good American-made hollow point. Hollow point and plastic tipped bullets usually expand rapidly. Heckler & Koch, Uzi and Colt 9mm carbines will feed anything. of impact energy. Winchester Defender 180 Grain Exotic ammunition is expensive, often inaccurate and often unreliable. This is a guide to help you select the best ammunition for your defensive firearm. I will only deal with commercially available ammunition. Quoth Ayoob: "The rifle is not well suited to the sudden, close-quarters deployment and maneuvering that is required of a defensive firearm. This potent revolver cartridge is based on a lengthened version of the .32 H&R Mag. If your .380 chokes on other JHP loads, try fifty rounds of the Remington 88 grain through your gun and see if it improves. Sig Sauer Elite 125 grain V-Crown. It is crucial to keep the chambers and frame interior absolutely free of oil or solvents when carrying Glasers, as you don't want any Breakfree CLP or Hoppe's #9 solvent seeping into the primer pocket and deactivating the round. This is unquestionably the world's most popular pistol round. Federal Premium 230 grain HST Cor-Bon 150 grain JHP (MV 1325 fps) IMI-Samson offers a lightweight, very high pressure load, the 110 grain +P+ JHP. Ed Sanow recommends the pre-fragmented MagSafe 22 grain "Defender" and Glaser 40 grain Safety Slugs. Like all ".32 caliber" handgun cartridges, the actual bullet diameter is .312". IMR recommends always consulting www.IMRReloading.com for the most accurate, up-to-date data. If you are new to shotgunning and considering getting one for self-defense I suggest the reliable and reasonably priced Mossberg Model 500, 18.5" barrel 20 gauge pump shotgun. I specifically recommend the standard (not magnum) 2-3/4" 20 gauge shell for women and recoil sensitive men who dislike the blast and recoil of the 12 gauge. Lubricate it properly. Bullets that initiate expansion relatively easily are usually the best choice in such calibers. You will be scrubbing out your barrel until the wee hours, however, as lead bullets scum up barrels something fierce. Unfortunately, I cannot address tactics in this short essay, only recommend proven ammunition. (These figures are for Remington Express shells.) Hornady offers a 60 grain XTP-HP and Federal offers a 65 grain Hydra-Shok JHP to compete with the Winchester Silvertip load. Over penetration is the biggest problem. When I carry a 4" .38, I want it loaded with this cartridge. 55 grain bullets are the most popular weight and offered in the most loads, so consider that a clue. Speer 115 grain Gold Dot The .357 makes an excellent self-defense round in Marlin, Henry, Uberti and Winchester lever actions, or the Action Arms/Israeli Military Industries "Timber Wolf" .357 pump action carbine. The FBI, looking for more power, adopted the 10mm to replace their 9x19mm service pistols. Winchester Super-X 85 grain Silvertip - I really cannot recommend this jam-prone round, although the Silvertip bullet expands more reliably than most in .380 caliber. Remington Premier 185 Golden Saber +P In civilian close combat, no way. This small rim will not catch the extractor star of double action (DA) revolvers, but presents no problem for the external extractor rod of Ruger SA revolvers. They should also be good choices for carrying in the field, where I might have to shoot big, cranky animals that seem interested in munching on my bodily parts. For many years this load was available only to law enforcement agencies, but it is again available to the general public. It is a high velocity (1350 fps) and high pressure round, more effective than loads restricted to law enforcement use. Honest review, thanks so much for posting! Nosler 200 grain bonded JHP Back to the General Firearms & Shooting page, Remington SJHP (a JHP designed specifically for revolvers), Sierra JHC (used in Cor-Bon Self-Defense JHP loads). Hornady Critical Duty 135 grain FlexLock +P is not extensive. As far as I know, none of these have yet proven as successful on the street as the Cor-Bon .38 Special +P 125 grain JHP or 158 grain +P LSWCHP, but most are effective loads and worthy of consideration, depending on your situation and requirements. Federal Premium 125 grain JHP Glasers, the Winchester Super-X 200 grain Silvertip, Hornady Custom 180 grain XTP and PMC Bronze 180 grain JHP are also potentially good rounds. American ammunition is the best in the world. For example, .38 Special +P 125 grain JHP loads fired from an 20" carbine barrel will hit as hard as full power magnums fired from a service revolver's 4" or 6" barrel. Any reliable hollow point is a good choice in a 9x19mm carbine and the long barrel makes for high velocity and increased effectiveness. I have tried to retain as much of the original philosophy, language, style and information as possible, while including new ammunition developments from the major American ammunition manufacturers and the results of the latest testing and data. If you have a typical tactical or riot gun with an 18"-20" Cylinder bore barrel, the pellets will spread out about 1" for every yard of range. This caliber has established an excellent track record on the street. As always, ignore the 180 grain ball loads from Remington, Federal, Sig Sauer and others, except for practice sessions. The .40 S&W generates snappy recoil, especially in the lighter pistols designed for concealed carry. If you are sufficiently expert to confidently carry .45 +P loads, you probably don't need my advice. Federal 135 grain Guard Dog Winchester Defender 165 Grain If you have a J-frame Smith & Wesson snub-nose .38 (i.e. The shotgun is not a magic weapon that will slay all foes. Ruger Mini-14 rifles have a 1 in 10" twist and do well with most any bullet weight up to 70 grains. The Hornady Critical Defense 45 grain FTX load, also developed for use in mini-revolvers, is another possibility. Remington 180 grain Golden Saber In particular, it cannot be stressed too heavily that all gun owners should own a copy of In the Gravest Extreme and re-read it periodically. Handguns are weak compared to rifles and shotguns and you want every edge you can get. An interesting revolver cartridge designed to approximate the stopping power of the .38 Special in a smaller caliber package. These full-power .357 Magnums have a lot of blast and kick. I really cannot argue, but Lt. Marshall is on record as stating that 00 is superior in penetration. This is okay, as the carbine's higher velocity will cause more bullet expansion on impact. You may occasionally encounter "Thunderzaps,""Omni-Shocks," "Terminators," "Annihilators," "Kaswer Law Grabbers," and other such marginalia in gun shops. Never compromise when it comes to reliability: if your gun only feeds ball, then ball is what you carry. These powerful and hard-kicking +P rounds are best left to the experienced shooter. If you are not comfortable with the buck and roar of full-house .357 Magnums, I would strongly suggest that you use a lower-recoil round. Don't gamble with your life, or the lives of others. However, this big bore (.40 caliber) hasn't turned out to be markedly superior to the best .40 S&W or .45 ACP jacketed hollow point loads. Winchester also offers a Defender 40 grain JHP self-defense load in .22 Magnum. Hornady Critical Duty 135 grain FlexLock Note: Ayoob dislikes the 20 gauge Remington 870 pump shotgun and recommends you choose the Mossberg 500 in 20 gauge for general self-defense and home-defense use. If you carry an aluminum frame, snub nose .38 (e.g. Civilians should not worry, as there are commercial loads as good as anything restricted to law enforcement usage. The Russian Baikal IJ-70 commercial Makarov pistol was produced in both calibers, so if you have a choice, get the .380 version. The .32 Auto is a semi-rimmed cartridge and it has enough rim to headspace in revolver cylinders. 20 gauge is generally limited to numbers 2 or 3 buck. There are several exotic ammunition designs on the market, such as the Glaser Safety Slug, Glaser Pow'RBall, Mag Safe, GECO BAT 9mm, DRT, et cetera. First Class pistols are ultra-reliable, high-quality new guns than can feed any hollow point and tolerate +P loads with no problems: All Glocks; all Ruger 9mm pistols; all SIG Sauer 9mm pistols; Czech CZ75 and CZ85; Walther P5, P5C and P88; Heckler and Koch USP and P7 series; Taurus PT-99, PT-92 and PT-92C; Steyr GB; Beretta 92 series; Browning BDM and Hi-Power (if it says "Portugal" on the slide); Smith & Wesson M&P models; Star M28, M30, M31 and all Firestars, Megastars and Ultrastars. Cor-Bon 185 grain JHP +P The Nosler Ballistic Tip, Hornady SST, Hornady V-Max and Remington Accu-Tip are examples of quick-opening bullets that are available in various brands of factory loaded ammunition. Excellent for those adverse to recoil and muzzle blast, but who want more power than the .32 Long, .32 ACP or .380 ACP. A note on shotgun spread: firing your shotgun does not create a diabolical cone of doom destroying all in its path. You may have a similar situation, such as retail store defense, living in an apartment, or staying in trailer park, where injury to third parties is of concern and you'll likely be facing an assailant at extremely close range. The .22 Magnum is much better than the .22 LR and perhaps better, in full size revolvers, than most calibers less powerful than the .32 ACP.

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